Delhi HC disposes of plea to ensure people aren't denied essential commodities for not having Aarogya Setu app

New Delhi [India], May 23 (ANI): The Delhi High Court has disposed of a petition seeking direction to the Centre to ensure that any private establishment does not deny access to essential and non-essential commodities to individuals who do not have a downloaded Aarogya Setu app.

A division bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan on Friday disposed of the petition filed by advocate Shashi Pratap Singh through his lawyer Ashim Shridhar.The court noted that the petitioner does not press this petition at this stage and submitted that they shall prefer a representation to the concerned respondent authorities.The plea sought to address an urgent issue of denial of access to essential commodities by private establishments for not having a downloaded, installed and working version of the 'Aarogya Setu app' despite the fact that there is no such direction from the Union of India or the Govt of Delhi in any of the guidelines governing the national lockdown.The petitioner told the court he was recently denied access to an establishment in the national capital where he had gone to purchase certain essential commodities on the ground that he did not have a downloaded, installed and working version of the 'Aarogya Setu" app on his mobile phone.He said that in the time of pandemic when essential commodities and its supplies have been specifically kept operating to ensure that every individual can access them, such an action is extremely detrimental to the interests of the general public as it is equivalent to denying equal access to everyone. (ANI)